This invention relates to apparatus for feeding animals automatically, and for providing portions of fresh water for animals to drink, when the owners are absent. More particularly, it relates to a device for storing animal feed in a hopper and dispensing preselected quantities of feed at preselected times automatically. Also provided is an animal-actuated water dispenser which dispenses only the amount of water needed by the animal.
On many occasions, an owner may wish to leave a pet at home for a weekend, or a longer period of time, during trips away from home. On these occasions, the owner wishes to have assurance that the pet or pets will be properly fed, and that fresh water is available to the pet upon demand. The present invention provides an automatic feeding device which dispenses quantities of food which may be preselected by simply turning a knob. In addition, the food may be dispensed on a daily basis or more frequently, the frequency being changeable by a simple clock setting. An owner has the option of dispensing the food dry, or of wetting the food with fresh water as it enters the feed bin. The animal also has fresh water available for drinking at any time, and the water is dispensed by an animal drinker that dispenses only the quantity desired. The unit is completely self contained, and no other dishes or vessels are required.
In the past, a variety of automatic animal feeders have been designed, although none of these devices have the features of applicant's apparatus. For example, Steinberg, U.S. Pat. No. 735,167 appears to be the first example of an electrically operated dispenser having a rotatable hopper for dispensing feed. A similar device is disclosed in Arvizu, U.S. Pat. No. 4,279,221. Shay, U.S. Pat. No. 4,235,200 discloses an automatic feeder having a single pivoting food delivery chamber which oscillates back and forth between a fill position and a dispensing position. A manually operated feeder is found in Meyer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,152.
A self-contained device having a rotatable bin for dispensing solid food and a water tank having a submerged pump from which water may be dispensed is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,648,660. A similar machine is disclosed in Lopez, U.S. Pat. No. 3,741,162; the Lopez device holds drinking water in an external dish, with the level being maintained by an inverted bottle mounted over the dish. The Lopez device requires feed and water dishes to be maintained outside of the unit. None of the prior art devices has the combination and convenience of features offered by applicant's apparatus.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an automatic pet feeder which dispenses desired quantities of food at preselected intervals in the absence of an owner. It is another object of the invention to provide an automatic feeding apparatus which may also be used to add fresh water to the animal feed at the time the feed in dispensed. It is yet another object of the invention to provide an automatic animal feeder having a drink dispenser which is actuatable by the animal, thus dispensing only the amount of water desired. These and other objects of the invention are accomplished by the device which is described in the following description of the preferred embodiment of the invention.